The present invention relates to new and improved no-drip pouring adaptors for use on containers for liquid products. More particularly the invention relates to a new and improved combination pouring adaptor-closure assembly having novel features of construction and arrangement.
Pouring adaptors of the general type to which the present invention relates are not new per se. Various types of pouring adaptors and in some instances pouring adaptor-closure assemblies are shown in the following U.S. Patents:
______________________________________ Inventor U.S. Pat. No. Issue Date ______________________________________ Miller 3,339,772 Sept. 5, 1967 Ayotte et al 3,318,496 May 9, 1967 Whitney 3,179,290 April 20, 1965 Kitterman 3,198,393 Aug. 3, 1965 Sundgren 3,491,925 Jan. 27, 1970 Micallef 3,429,488 Feb. 25, 1969 Miller 3,319,842 May 16, 1967 Unger 3,297,211 Jan. 10, 1967 Livingstone 2,763,402 Sept. 18, 1956 Kirschenbaum Re 24,695 Sept. 8, 1959 Stull 3,117,701 Jan. 14, 1964 Gibson 3,311,275 March 28, 1967 Miller 3,323,693 June 6, 1967 Clare 3,330,450 July 11, 1967 Clare 3,361,307 Jan. 2, 1968 Cruikshank 3,563,422 Feb. 16, 1971 Owens 3,980,211 Sept. 14, 1976 ______________________________________
The Miller U.S. Pat. No. 3,339,772 shows a pouring adaptor which seats in the inside of the neck of the container and has a conical shaped portion terminating in a central discharge opening through which the contents of the container are dispensed. In one form the cap has a pin-like protuberance which engages in the opening in the adaptor to seal the discharge opening and to retain the adaptor and cap as a unit.
The Ayotte et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,318,496 shows a pouring adaptor and closure assembly generally similar to Miller. In this instance, however, the adaptor which also seats in the interior of the neck of a container has a base and an elongated cylindrical pouring spout projecting from the base which has a conical outwardly divergent upper wall and the container likewise has a cylindrical projection which engages in the sleeve-like projection of the adaptor to seal the same.
Whitney U.S. Pat. No. 3,179,290 also shows a pouring adaptor which seats inside the neck of the container and has an outwardly flared pouring lip. Kitterman U.S. Pat. No. 3,198,393; Sundgren U.S. Pat. No. 3,491,925 and Micallef U.S. Pat. No. 3,429,488 show similar type adaptors.
There are also a number of adaptors as exemplified by the Miller U.S. Pat. No. 3,319,842 and Unger U.S. Pat. No. 3,297,211 wherein the adaptor includes a central projection which depends into the neck of the container and wherein the discharge end includes an outwardly flared lip.
Even though these adaptors are generally suitable for the purposes intended, the present invention differs structurally from these adaptors and provides an arrangement which is easy and economical to manufacture and assemble by utilizing automatic capping equipment. Thus, the adaptor of the present invention comprises an annular member adapted to seat and lock on the axial end face and the outer peripheral side of the container finish. The annular member includes a generally cylindrical depending skirt portion which has at its lower terminal edge a radially inwardly directed bead which seats in a groove in the outer surface of the container finish and a radially inwardly directed top which overlies the axial end face of the container and has a no-drip pouring face configuration consisting of radially outwardly divergent face and a reversely tapered conical peripheral flexible flange. This configuration provides the most effective surface configuration to ensure the no-drip characteristic. Furthermore, the reversely tapered flexible flange also provides an important additional function in that it engages in an internal peripherally extending pocket at the juncture of the top and sidewall of the closure cap to retain the adaptor and cap as an integral assembly prior to application to the container. Flexibility of the flange also ensures retention of the adaptor on the container when the cap in normal use is rotated to remove it from the container. In the present instance, the container also has a circumferentially extending sealing flange depending from the top which engages the top pouring face of the adaptor to provide a primary seal with this face. The reversely tapered flexible flange also adds a secondary seal in the manner in which it engages in the cap pocket.
The adaptor and cap are preferably made of a plastic material and can be produced rather economically and quickly on conventional high speed automatic plastic molding equipment. Furthermore, the adaptor and cap are easily assembled as a unit prior to application to a container by automatic handling equipment. The configuration of the adaptor and the pocket in the cap are such that critical alignment to assemble the two is not necessary, the reversely oriented flexible flange providing a degree of flexibility in aligning the parts for assembly as a unit. The adaptor-closure unit is simply applied to a container by threading the cap on the container whereby the rib at the lower edge of the skirt of the adaptor flexes to engage over the finish and seat in the groove in the manner shown. The seating force of the adaptor on the container is greater than that provided by the reversely tapered flexible flange in the pocket of the cap so that now when the cap is removed, the adaptor remains firmly seated on the end of the container.